The Pinks and Chums are Here!
The best part about it coming up to October is the chums are coming in. This means time for smoking fish. Pinks and chums are great for smoking as they are fattier than your sockeye, tyee etc. I usually put mine in a brine about 10 at night in the refrigerator, filleted of course with skin on. Then in the early morning I rinse them, pat them dry and leave them to form a glaze for 1 hour. Then here is the fun part. Set them on a oiled sprayed rack for the smoker and baste with - Oh there are so many combinations - thick terayaki sauce with sweet chili sauce and garlic, Honey mustard with red wine vinegar, steak spice in a little oil to make it stick to the fillet, pure maple syrup and garlic. I use whatever I have in the refrigerator. Baste the salmon in theses sauces. Don't forget which rack is which sauce. You can smoke them for 10 hours or so depending on the thickness of the fillet. This is why you have to start in the early morning. Use 3 pans full in a Big or Little Chief. Relax and fill the next one when your not busy. They usually last 1 hour each pan. Alder and apple wood shavings is nice, but whatever you want to experiment with. Now you can eat as is, vacuum pack them and make your favorite smoke salmon dish with some good quality pots and pans.

Cooking for Company

Cooking is one of my favorite things to do but I do not like to spend a long time in the kitchen. I always have most of it prepared before my company comes because it is very important to visit with your company also. So you choose meals that have one main dish that takes a bit but the rest that go with it like vegetables, salads etc. need to be quick or prepared ahead. Therefore you only have to think mainly about the main dish. Who wants to be stressed with company present. A one pot meal in a cast iron pot is quick and can be very good and not much work. Always choose something you have done well before. Many times I will find a recipe that sounds good, try it and do changes to it until I feel that it can be done easier, quicker and can taste much better than the original. Don't be afraid to add the spices! So do some nice combinations with good presentations but make it easy on yourself. That's how I like to cook! How about you?